(a) Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to an apparatus for manipulating vehicular devices. In certain preferred embodiments, the present invention relates to an apparatus for manipulating vehicular devices which is capable of rapidly selecting manipulation screens for various vehicular devices based on the manner in which a driver suitably holds his gaze upon each of the manipulation screens using his or her line of sight.
(b) Background
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2007-286696, incorporated by reference in its entirety herein, is directed to an input apparatus for photographing a hand on a manipulation unit, overlaying a captured image of the hand on the manipulation screen of a display unit, and enabling a manipulator to perform manipulation while viewing the overlaid image. The 2007-286696 publication teaches an input apparatus where a hand is displayed on the display unit, so that a manipulator can perform manipulation while viewing only the display unit without needing to view the manipulation unit. For example, the 2007-286696 reference teaches that a user can perform manipulation without directing his line of sight towards the manipulation unit. Certain examples of such an input apparatus are illustrated in FIG. 8. For example, the manipulation unit is suitably mounted on a center console, a manipulator's hand is preferably photographed on the manipulation unit through a camera, and an image of the hand captured on the manipulation unit is suitably overlaid on the manipulation screen of the display unit. In this example, the number of display units is one, so that one of a plurality of vehicular devices, such as an air conditioner, an audio system and a car navigation system, is suitably invoked and displayed, and then a necessary instruction is suitably issued from the manipulation unit.
In certain examples, for example as shown in the input apparatus of FIG. 8, first, a manipulator must preferably select a desired vehicular device through a menu screen. Preferably, on the menu screen there are arranged buttons for selecting, for example, an air conditioner, an audio system, a car navigation system, etc. A desired manipulation screen can be suitably invoked by invoking the menu screen, overlaying a finger on a button for selecting a desired vehicular device and then suitably pressing a switch of the manipulation unit. Accordingly, the selection of a vehicular device is can be considerably burdensome and time-consuming for a driver. Further, in a case with an increased number of vehicular devices, the number of layers of the menu screen is suitably increased, so that the manipulation of the vehicular devices becomes suitably more complicated.
Accordingly, in order to alleviate the burden of the selection of vehicular devices using the menu screen, a plurality of display units, rather than a single display unit, is preferably arranged on an instrument panel and manipulation screens for respective vehicular devices are always displayed, thereby suitably eliminating the selection of the vehicular devices. Preferably, in this case, dedicated manipulation switches are preferably provided for the respective display units. As a result, a driver cannot suitably manipulate a touch panel unless the driver considerably extends his or her arm. Furthermore, since it is necessary to direct the line of sight to the display unit and the manipulation unit, attention may be diverted away from driving.
The above information disclosed in this Background section is only for enhancement of understanding of the background of the invention and therefore it may contain information that does not form the prior art that is already known in this country to a person of ordinary skill in the art.